Texas A&M experts work to explain the impact of agriculture in a busy world

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – Leaders at the Texas A&M Agricultural & Food Policy Center spend their days trying to bridge the gap between producers and their elected officials, researching and educating government agencies on the impact of agriculture policy. Their mission, however, goes beyond just educating lawmakers. In a world where food comes on demand, they’re working to ensure everyday Americans understand how farmers and ranchers make it possible.

It’s a question Bart Fischer, co-director of the Agricultural & Food Policy Center, says he hears often, “Why don’t people understand the challenges that are facing us in rural America?”

The organization works to share the impact of agriculture with generations of people without roots in farming or ranching.

Fischer recalled Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack saying, “We’re a country of doctors and lawyers and, you know, we have all of these opportunities in this nation, but we’re able to have these opportunities because we don’t have to grow food for ourselves.”

“We don’t have to go back home and farm,” Fischer furthered. “We have endless opportunities in part because we have a very, very small number of people who feed everyone else in this country.”

Fischer says our food supply is taken for granted all too often.

“I think we certainly take for granted in this country. We think… food magically shows up at the grocery store and we go and buy it, and we don’t ever have to worry about what all goes on behind the scenes,” he said. “If you look at U.S. consumers, we spend less of our disposable income as a share of [our income] than any other place on the planet, and it’s not by accident.”

He says sharing the work that goes into keeping shelves stocked with food is critical, and starts in the classroom.

“It’s incumbent on us to tell that story,” Fischer furthered. “I’ve got 190 students this semester. When you ask for a show of hands, the vast majority of them are not from rural America… I could look at that and lament that we have all these people who aren’t from ag backgrounds. Instead, I look at it as a tremendous opportunity.”

It’s a major challenge Fischer says producers have stepped up to address.

“I don’t want to sugarcoat it,” he said. “It’s a big challenge, this disconnect, but we’re not going to solve it by lamenting it, right? We’re only going to solve it by getting out there and doing something about it.”

In addition to his work at the Agricultural & Food Policy Center, Fischer also serves as a research assistant professor in Texas A&M’s Department of Agricultural Economics. Before coming to Texas A&M, Fischer served nearly a decade on the Committee on Agriculture in the U.S. House of Representatives.